CENTERED
and preparing to dive. It is amazing to me that last summer H could barely bring himself to jump off the side of the pool. My friend Ellie (this is her pool) gave him a few pointers one day and he just never looked back. When they are ready, most children will absorb new information incredibly quickly, and with every fiber of their being. Sort of like a piece of wet cloth being dipped in dye. It is truly astonishing. A kind of everyday miracle.

Maybe I just notice it more because this is NOT how Henry, H's older brother, learns things. Henry's natural learning process is blocked in some mysterious way by autism and mental retardation. A very nasty combination when it comes to learning, blunting both desire to learn (or to please the teacher) and also the ability to do so. However, it does not impair his "enjoyment ability", thank goodness, and he too loves Ellie's pool!